Bat in Firestone home tests positive for rabies

Related Media

A bat found in a Firestone home has tested positive for the rabies virus, marking the 15th case of rabies in a Weld County animal this year.

The bat tested positive for rabies Friday, and a cat that brought the bat inside the home was euthanized, according to a news release from the town of Firestone.

Firestone police remind all pet owners of the importance of making sure pets receive regular vaccinations, including rabies.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year occur in wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

Early rabies symptoms found in humans are similar to that of many other illnesses, including fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort.

As the disease progresses, more specific symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, an increase in saliva, difficulty swallowing and a fear of water.

Death usually occurs within days of symptoms’ first appearance.

Any animals showing the above symptoms or bats inside the home should be reported to the Weld County Dispatch at (720) 652-4222.